About live animal export

Every year millions of Australian animals are exported live for slaughter. Cattle, sheep and goats are sent all through the Middle East and South East Asia — to countries where animal welfare laws do not protect them. Tens of thousands of animals don't survive the sea journey and those that do, disembark into countries where they are transported, handled and then slaughtered in appalling ways. Most animals slaughtered overseas have their throats cut while they are fully conscious, leading to an incredibly painful and prolonged death.

Over the past seven years Animals Australia has conducted investigations in the Middle East into the treatment of exported Australian animals. The evidence from these investigations across seven different countries has consistently revealed the willingness of Australia's live export industry, and consecutive Federal Governments, to export live animals to the Middle East regardless of how cruelly they will be treated. Only last November, Animals Australia investigators once again documented horrendous abuse of Australian sheep in Kuwait. The footage, which aired on ABC1's 7.30 Report, outraged Australians, yet once again the Federal government maintained its support of this cruel trade.

Indonesia has been the main destination for Australian cattle with 4.6 million exported to this country over the past decade. Animal protection groups had hoped that the treatment of cattle in Indonesia would be better than that of sheep in the Middle East because of the greater level of Australian industry involvement. What we have discovered however, is that we couldn't have been more wrong. Evidence gathered in Indonesia reveals that the involvement of Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and LiveCorp in Indonesia has actually contributed to and facilitated brutal treatment of Australian cattle.

The evidence gathered against Australia's live trade during the recent Indonesian investigation and in the Middle East in the eight years prior is damning. No amount of profit, no amount of excuses can justify Australia's continued involvement in live animal export — the associated cruelty inflicted on animals — and the message that we are sending to other nations as to what is acceptable treatment of animals.

When Australia's live trade was exposed as supplying cattle to Egypt in the full knowledge that it was routine practice for cattle to have their leg tendons slashed to disable them prior to slaughter — the Federal Government should have ended the trade then and there. This further evidence of Australian interests knowingly supplying animals to even worse abuse in Indonesia demands that the Federal Government acts now.

In a historic union — Australia's two peak animal welfare bodies RSPCA Australia and Animals Australia have joined forces to demand the Gillard Government announce an end date for live animal export. If you care about animals then please add your voice and help us end this cruel trade once and for all.

Next: The Investigation »

The Indonesian investigation

In March 2011, Animals Australia visited 11 abattoirs to document the treatment and slaughter of Australian cattle in four Indonesian cities. RSPCA Australia conducted a scientific assessment of the investigation.

Evidence from this investigation revealed that Australian cattle are being routinely brutalised and, in the worst cases, tortured prior to slaughter on a nightly basis in Indonesia.

Of the 50 slaughters observed:

• every slaughter facility breached international animal welfare guidelines
• most animals were subjected to abuse through eye gouging, kicking, tail twisting and even tail breaking
• cattle experienced an average of 11 cuts to the throat with one animal having his throat cut 33 times
• half of all Australian animals observed showed signs of consciousness more than 1.5 minutes after their throat was cut; and
• one animal with a broken leg was tortured for 26 minutes before being killed.

Most alarming, is that Australia is aiding and abetting this cruelty through taxpayer-funded equipment being installed in Indonesia — equipment that is internationally condemned as being inhumane. Restraint boxes installed in Indonesia by Meat and Livestock Australia and LiveCorp have been condemned by the world's leading slaughter expert Professor Temple Grandin as “breaching every humane standard all around the world,” and “absolutely atrocious and unacceptable”.

Evidence gathered once again reveals the willingness of Australia's live export industry to supply animals no matter how brutally they will be treated, and even to actively contribute to and facilitiate brutal treatment by supplying inhumane equipment.

This is not an industry worthy of Australian government support. The RSPCA and Animals Australia are demanding that the Gillard Government announce an end date for all live animal exports.

Watch the investigation report documentary (please be warned this film contains vision that may be distressing):

Next: Four Corners »

Four Corners

On Monday 30th May, ABC1's Four Corners aired the much anticipated story 'A Bloody Business' — an explosive exposé featuring footage from Animals Australia's Indonesian investigation.

Click here to watch the story on the Four Corners website.

Next: Factsheets »

Download factsheets

• Overview (PDF)
• The Investigation (PDF)
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (PDF)
• Indonesia investigation — scientific report (PDF)
• RSPCA Australia / Animals Australia response to industry 'action plan' (PDF)
• The impact of ending live exports (PDF)

Contact us

This campaign and website is jointly run by Australia's two peak animal protection bodies — RSPCA Australia and Animals Australia.